A red pigment known as Sindoor powder or vermillion, commonly daubed on the face during Hindi ceremonies could contain unsafe levels of lead, according to a report published by Reuters.

A study conducted by Rutgers School of Public Health revealed that of 118 samples sourced in New Jersey and India, 83 percent of the US samples, and 78 percent of the samples from India contained 1 microgram of lead per gram or more, and approximately 33 percent overall (19 percent from the US and 43 percent from India) exceeded the legal limit set by the US Food and Drug Administration (20 micrograms per gram).

“There is no safe level of lead,” Study Author Derek Shendell told Reuters Health. “It shouldn’t be in our bodies, especially for children aged under 6.”